Automobile control mechanism



Mmh 13, 1934. 1,950,976

A. Y. DODGE AUTOMOBILE CONTROL MECHANISM Original Filed Sept. 12, 1930 INVENTOR.

Adiel X Boa e.

QWQZKW ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 13, 1934 1,950,976 auronomm CONTROL MECHANISM Adiel Y. Dodge, South Bend, Ind., assignor to Bendix Brake Company, South Bend, Ind a corporation of Illinois Original application September 12, 1930, Serial No. 481,513. Divided and this application Jannary 4, 1932, Serial No. 584,751

.3 Claims. (CI. 74-49) My invention relates to automotive control mechanism, having particular reference to control means for regulating the speed of the motor associated therewith, and is a division of my copending application Serial No. 481,513 filed September 12, 1930.

The primary object of this invention is tov automatically control the speed of the vehicle motor under normal driving conditions so that the generator customarily associated with said motor will at all times render a given output of electrical energy. At the same time I propose to so arrange the fuel feed control mechanism that the conventional hand throttle is available to shut off the fuel feed at any time to such a point that the motor idlesat what may be regarded as the absolute-minimum. The foot'actuated throttle or accelerator is so coupled with the fuel feed control means and the hand manipulated throttle that the return spring associated with the accelerator .is capable only of returning the fuel feed control valve to a point at which the motor rotates at a secondary, idling speed substantially above the absolute minimum.

is secondary speed is predetermined in accordance with the particular type of generator utilized and in this way the generator, which is driven by the motor, provides predetermined minimum output of electrical energy continuously during the normal operation of the vehicle. When the absolute minimum idling speed is desired the mechanism is so arranged that the'hand throttle lever may be manipulated to further reduce the flow of fuel to the engine, but this mechanism is so arranged that the hand lever is automatically rendered temporarily inoperative,- once the accelerator control is again utilized, until further operation of the hand lever.

While there are an indeterminate number of valuable uses for such control mechanism, a hook up wherein electric brakes are normally energized through the current output of the generator is illustrated. The diagrammatic illustration includes means whereby the power source may be shifted from the generator to a conventional storage battery when the generator output falls below a predetermined minimurrf, which minimum, as hitherto stated, is predetermined by the secondary minimum idlingspeed of the motor.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several figures and wherein 4 Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the electric brake hook up suggested above, and

Fig. 2 is a somewhat ditic illustration of the automatic motor idlingspeed control.

The numeral 10 indicates broadly an electrically operable brake mechanism associated with each wheel of a motor vehicle. A' circuit breaker 12 positioned on the instrument panel of the vehicle provides the primary control for the system; whereby the circuit as a whole may be opened or closed. Each of the independent brake assemblies associated with each of the four wheels is 55 tied into the electric circuit through the leads 14 and 16, and the flow of current through the circuit is controlled by the rheostat diagrammatically illustrated by numeral 18, which is in turn controlled by a finger 20 which is actuated in 79 unison with the brake pedal 22. This control 18 may be of any desired type whereby movement of the finger 20 across the contacts varies the resistance in the circuit. The type of control utilized is unimportant, obviously, and my 7 invention comprehends the use of any type of current control.

The leads 14 and 16 are connected respectively with the switch blades 24 and 26 of a relay switch which is operated by the magnetic relay 28. Current for actuating the magnetic relay is drawn from the generator 30 through the leads 32 and 34 and when sufficient current is being generated by the generator, the sufliciency of which is predetermined, the magnetic relay retains the switch 8 blades 24 and 26 in their-uppermost position where they make contact with the leads 36 and 38 from, the generator '30. With the circuitbreaker 12 closed and the relay switch blades in this position the generator provides the power source for the brakes. v

The structure whereby the motor.45 is automatically maintained at a predetermined speed is illustrated clearly in Fig. 2. A butterfly valve 4'7 on the carburetor is adapted to be actuated by 9 movement of lever 48, link 50 and a sector-like element 52 pivoted, as indicated at 54, inter-' mediate its extremities. The accelerator 46 is pivotally connected by rod 56 with the lower sector portion of element 52. The hand throttle 58 is hooked up in conventional fashion through the rod 60 to one extremity of--a lever 62 which is pivoted intermediateits ends as at 64. The opposite extremity of the lever 62 is connected to the sectorlike element 52 through the rod 66 in the manner now to be described.

The sector portion of the element 52 is provided with an arcuate slot 68. At the forward end of this slot there is an upwardly directed straight extension. 70 and the lever 66 is provided at its and is briefly as follows:

. In Fig. 2 the elements are shown in the position for actual idling of the motor. In this position the electrical energy for operation of the brakes is provided by the storage battery. Depression of accelerator pedal 46 positively actuates the element 52, forcing the same to swing in a clockwise direction about its pivot point 54. During this movement the lever 48 is being actuated by the link 50 to open the butterfly valve of the carburetor' 51 the internal combustion engine 45 which propels the vehicle.

The rear extremity of rod 66 will at first be actuated by the moving sector by virtue of the fact that the pin at said extremity which rides'in the extension '10 of slot 68 is positively actuated. This will result in moving the hand throttle lever 58 until the rod 66 strikes the stop pin '12 and as the sector element 52 continues to swing upwardly the pin at the extremity of rod 66 will ride along slot 68, thereby permitting further opening of the carburetor valve-by means of the accelerator pedal 46 without further actuating of hand throttle 58. The stop pin '72 in its relation to rod 66 therefore determines that position of the hand throttle lever which determines the normal minimum running position of the throttle valve when the accelerator is released.

Upon release of the accelerator pedal 46 by the vehicle operator the retraction spring 76 will function to withdraw the sector-like element in .a

counter clockwise direction, thereby tending to close the carburetor valve. However, such rotation of element 52 brings the left hand extremity of slot 68 into coincidence with the pin on the end of rod 66, and the pin will then be drawn into the extension 70 of slot 68 and the resistance offered to further counter clockwise movement of element 52 by the friction in the hand throttle linkage as well as spring 74 will prevent further rotation and hence further closing of the carburetor valve. The springs and linkage are so designed that the R. P. M. of the motor at this point of stoppage will equal a predetermined value heretofore indicated as from 500600 R. P. M. This motor speed is entirely satisfactory under prevailing driving conditions and is adapted to provide and!- cient electrical energy through the generator to by means of linkage 60, 62, and 66 to close the carburetor valve to idling speed. This point might be called the absolute minmum running position of the throttle valve..

What I claim is: a

1. Control mechan sm for an internal combustion engine having a throttle control valve comprising; in combination, an actuating arm for said valve, a lever pivotedintermediate its end and pivotally coupled at one end with said actuating arm, an accelerator pedal pivotally coupled with the other end of said lever, and a hand throttle coupled through intermediate lz'nkage with said last mentioned endof said lever, the lever connection itself comprising an arcuate slot in said lever and a pin slidably engaged therein, said slot including a radially ofiset portion adjacent the end opposite that side of the lever to which the accelerator is coupled.

2; In combination with a carburetor having a valve actuating arm, an accelerator pedal, a member operatively coupling said actuating arm and said pedal, a hand throttle, and an initially ineffective lost motion connection coupling said hand throttle with said member whereby depression of the accelerator pedal from its normal motor idling position initially advances said hand throttle a limited extent to reset the motor idling position of said accelerator.

3. Control mechanism for an automotive vehicle having an internal combustion engine including fuel feed apparatus provided with a 

